Staff at Manchester College vote for strike action in two-tier workforce row

Members of UCU will go out on strike later this month after the college announced that it wanted to implement different contracts for staff working with adults and those working with 14-19-year-olds.
 
Over two-thirds (68%) of those who voted supported strike action and over eighty percent (86%) agreed to action short of a strike.
 
The news comes on the same day that Manchester College informed UCU that it intends to de-recognise the union - a move described by the union as 'deeply regrettable' and damaging to education provision in Manchester.
 
The union said that without a negotiated settlement it will be left with no option but to take strike action. The college has refused to budge on proposals that UCU says are unworkable, as many staff work with both adults and 14-19 year-olds and could be placed on either contract.
 
The union said the changes will impact massively on students as well as staff. The inferior contracts demanding extra hours and loss of holiday must be factored alongside a huge rise in preparation time and extra marking for those staff.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'It is deeply regrettable that rather than focussing on a resolution, Manchester College management have chosen to de-recognise UCU, the chosen union of academic staff. I can assure people that our members will continue to seek a solution so that we can carry on providing first-class teaching to learners in Manchester.
 
'Our members don't want to take strike action but have been left with little choice. Staff at Manchester perform a range of duties and teach a variety of people, they do not operate in separate silos. The disarray that will be created by this unworkable two-tier system will leave the college with potential discrimination and dismissal claims and consequently unable to defend itself in the face of likely government funding cuts. Nobody wants this. This situation can still be resolved.'